This Week on the Farm

There’s been a flurry of activity affecting the top two levels of the organizations so let’s take a look at what is going on down on the farm.

AAA Louisville Bats

Recently signed Cuban prospect Raisel Iglesias has been assigned to the Bats roster but has yet to pitch. The Reds signed 31 year old LH reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith (4.91 ERA with Arizona and 5.14 ERA at AAA Buffalo this season) who has already tossed a scoreless inning for the Bats. The Reds announced yesterday that they have traded RH SP Jair Jurrjens (4.46) to Colorado for AA 1B Harold Riggins. OF Felix Perez (.302/.353/.522/.876) and 2B Ruben Gotay (.278/.337/.473/.810) have been named to represent the Bats at the International League All-Star game.

AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos

The Reds have three newly signed pitchers that have been assigned to the Blue Wahoos. Scott Maine is a 29 year old LHP who has a 5.59 ERA over 50 IP with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians from 2010 – 2012. Fabio Castillo is a 25 year old RHP who has a career 4.62 ERA over 154 IP at AA and a 6.07 ERA in 75 IP at AAA. Hector Nelo is a 27 year old RHP who has amassed a 3.70 ERA in 146 IP at AA. Recent trade acquisition Harold Riggins is not yet assinged to a roster but may well end up here at Pensacola. The 24 year old RH swinging 1B has put up a .263/.351/.447/.798 slash line in 205 PA at AA Tulsa this season. Last year he put up a .247/.353/.472/.825 line in 482 PA with 22 HR for A+ Modesto in the California League. He has shown good power and a good eye at the plate throughout his minor league career. Previously acquired C Lou Marson made his first appearance for the Reds last night at Pensacola. The 28 year old RH batter has a major league career line of .219/.309/.299/.609 over 882 PA with the Phillies and Indians.

High A Bakersfield Blaze

Recently promoted Sebastian Elizalde (.286/.400/.405/.805) has began to hit at the A+ level. DH Sean Buckley (.421/.410/.605/1.016) continues to stay hot at A+ since his promotion as well.

Low A Dayton Dragons

Phil Ervin (.227/.300/.363/.663) is coming around at the plate. After a dismal .561 OPS in April and a .593 OPS in May, he rebounded by slashing .268/.358/.512/.870 in June. Nick Travieso has a 3.74 ERA over 14 GS.

Rookie Billings Mustangs

C Garrett Boulware (.333/.467/.458/.925) and 3B/1B Brian O’Grady (.344/.463/.563/1.026) continue to lead the Mustanges at the plate.

Rookie AZL Reds

LF Dalton Carter (.357/.471/.500/.971) is still very hot in the AZL. LHP Jacob Constante is still unscored on after 8 IP in the AZL

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13 thoughts on “This Week on the Farm”

Felix Perez at Louisville continues to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the Reds minor league system. This is his 3rd year at AAA hitting at .300 and he cannot get a look from the Reds front office even as the LF black hole continues to emerge and grow.
Congrats to Perez for being named a AAA All Star.

Someone who I haven’t seen on any prospect list (Prospect Digest Top 10, Doug Gray’s, John Sickles Top 20)
Steve Selsky; Birthdate: 7/20/1989 (24 y, 11 m, 11 d) Bats/Throws: R/R Height/Weight: 6-1/205 Position: OF
Drafted: 2011 June Amateur Draft – Round: 33, Pick: 24, Overall: 1015, Team: Cincinnati Reds
(http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa526361&position=OF)
Why am I interested, his numbers show learning and progress at each level, or at least by my interpretation. If RLN has written about him, I missed it, but just in case you haven’t found him, I will elaborate.
Steve has been in the system about 3 years since drafted

In Reds A he hit 3 HR, and had 26 RBI, and he had 49 SO and 12 Walks in 228 PA
In Reds A+ he hit 28 HR’s, and had 132 RBI, and he had 141 SO, and 63 Walks, in 701 PA
In Reds AA he hit 1 HR, and had 33 RBI, and he had 62 SO, and 39 Walks, in 304 PA
Observations
In A+ ball (West Coast) it is believed that power numbers are suspect.
In 2013 on being promoted to AA his numbers dipped, the learning curve started,
In 2014 starting at AA his numbers went back up, Learning being put into practice.
In 2014 on being promoted to AAA his number are slipping again (see Chart on link) but if he is learning again they should show improvement by year end.
For a June 2011 draft pick to be at AAA in 3 years shows me Walt thinks he has something special and he is keeping it to himself. Steve is now listed at 1b since reporting to AAA. Future??
So if history repeats sometime next year mid-season or later we just may see Steve Selsky at GABP

Reds have a whole lot of talent at the outfield position and very little elsewhere except pitching. Im hoping that Winker turns out to be the real deal myself. I think he will be in the majors sometime in 2015.

We both want the Reds to win no matter who is in the lineup. My curiosity about Selsky is what you expressed, nobody has heard about him. His numbers show growth and I go back to the fact that he was signed in June 2011 and has risen to AAA and is now listed in AAA as a first baseman.

George, Selsky was named the organizational hitter of the year two years ago. The next year, moving up to AA he really struggled and was eventually sent back to Bakersfield where he eventually rebounded some. This year he did well at AA and earned a promotion. There have been a few discussions on Selsky over on redsminorleagues.com. The general consensus, described well by Doug on a thread, is that he’s not on the prospect radar because he doesn’t have any power, which one typically needs to play a corner OF spot, and he can’t play CF. To be a bench guy he would either need to provide power off the bench, or defense (capable of playing all 3 positions) and he provides neither. Those two factors will keep him off the radars for the most part because guys with his skillsets don’t typically show up in the major leagues.

Could that be why he is at 1b in AAA. My instincts tell me if can hit , with or without power, Walt will find a spot in the lineup, after all Rose was never considered a power hitter or have great skill sets and he didn’t do too badly.

Typically 1B is a power spot as well. All the corner spots are, and up the middle less so. But even so, he’d be a back up bench guy unless there were an injury, that would not provide significant power or defense off the bench. I like the guy’s ability to hit and I hope he can find a niche in the future. I agree you can always find a spot for a guy who can hit (Keppinger for example). But looking forward Lutz plays the same positions, is already on the 40-man, and provides power. Beyond that we have loads of OF prospects that should be knocking on the door around mid-2015.

Despite won loss records I am convinced that Jocketty has built us up one heck of a farm system. If you look down the pipeline of the talent we have especially in pitching. I don’t think that we have an equal. We have a huge “potential” at every single level of the organization if not 2 or 3. Pensacola is stacked so much so that the all stars don’t have room to get daily playing time.